Krampus Festival, Greenbelt, Maryland, December 9, 2023

I went to three Christmas-related events that day. I spent the late afternoon viewing the entries in the gingerbread house contest that was held at Darnall’s Chance in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Afterwards I went to Greenbelt, Maryland where I spent the very early evening at the Winter Wonderland event that was held at the Mowatt United Methodist Church. After that event I went to the Krampus Festival, which was held just a very short drive away from the Winter Wonderland event.

It was a very fun event. I saw plenty of people dressed as Krampus along with other people wearing more traditional Christmas things like Santa hats and elf hats. A marching band known as the Greenbelt Honk Situation provided the music.

I also shot video footage of the event, starting with the Krampus parade, which kicked off the event. I uploaded it on TikTok, Clapper, Instagram, and YouTube.

I shot footage of people dancing, which I uploaded on TikTok, Clapper, Instagram, and YouTube.

I shot footage of people engaged in a singalong, which was devoted to Krampus. I uploaded it on TikTok, Clapper, Instagram, and YouTube.

Finally I shot footage of the Greenbelt Honk Situation playing a very unique version of a song from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite. I uploaded it on TikTok, Clapper, Instagram, and YouTube.

The 12 Drawings of Christmas Day 11

For my New Year’s Eve drawing I drew a nutcracker.

I drew this one using a free tutorial I found on How to Draw Step by Step Drawing Tutorials. This drawing represents my last art project of 2018.

I’ve always loved nutcrackers. I currently have three nutcrackers at home. If I had more money and more space at home, I would definitely have a larger nutcracker collection. Since I don’t have unlimited funds or space, I have to content myself with just taking smartphone photos of any nutcrackers that really interest me on the store shelves.

I have loved the music from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite ever since a music teacher introduced me to it when I was in elementary school. In addition many of the songs are frequently used in radio and television ads that are played this time of the year so it’s pretty hard to avoid hearing any songs from The Nutcracker Suite.

Earlier this year I went to the Artechhouse in Washington, DC, which had a special interactive exhibit based on The Nutcracker Suite that I really loved. I went on one of the last days of that exhibit on the first weekend of the new year in 2018. I trudged through below-freezing weather just so I could get to that building, which shows the lengths I’ll go through sometimes in order to enjoy something like The Nutcracker.

I have the DVD of The Nutcracker ballet performance that features Macauley Culkin in the title role. Personally I felt that he was the weakest link of that production (he was far better as a child star in comedies like My Girl and the Home Alone movies than as a ballet performer) but the music and the other performers (who were all professional ballet dancers) more than made up for Culkin’s weaknesses in that film. I generally play that DVD at least once during the winter holiday season.

Tomorrow is the last day of the 12 Drawings of Christmas. I hope you’ll return to see what I’ve drawn.

Video Break

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

For a change of pace today, I’d thought I’d feature an actual full-length movie in this blog. Here is Pyotr Illch Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker as performed by the BBC Royal Opera House.